Kentucky Derby 2014 | Todd Pletcher's strength is in numbers

Jan. 26, 2014

Todd Pletcher, fresh off winning the Eclipse Award as North America’s outstanding trainer for a record sixth time, has captured New York’s biggest Kentucky Derby prep race in three of the past four years. Eskendereya, Gemologist and Verrazano all won Aqueduct’s $1 million Wood Memorial.

None in that triumvirate hit the board in the Kentucky Derby, though Pletcher won America’s most coveted race in 2010 with Arkansas Derby runner-up Super Saver mere days after his likely favorite Eskendereya came out with an injury.

Only Pletcher’s former boss, four-time winner D. Wayne Lukas, has saddled more Kentucky Derby starters (47-36). Pletcher has had more than one horse in 11 Derbys dating to 2000, when he ran four.

“Last year we had so much success in the prep races,” he said. “We got beat a head in the Blue Grass, but we won the Louisiana Derby, the Arkansas Derby, the Wood Memorial. Everything seemed to go exactly right for us — including the Kentucky Oaks — until it rained Derby Day.

“This year the first round of preps, I don’t think we’ll be quite as strong — but maybe the second round and final round. We’ve got a group that’s a little bit later coming on. But I’ve always said having a really hot hand in January and February doesn’t always lead to a hot hand in May.”

Pletcher’s most accomplished contender is Grade I Champagne winner Havana, who in his third career start finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. After getting a freshener, Havana is likely to make his 3-year-old debut in Gulfstream Park’s seven-furlong Swale Stakes.

Pletcher has plenty of horses with stamina-laden bloodlines. Those include 11⁄8-mile maiden and allowance winner Commissioner, whose form is reminiscent of Derby winner Orb heading into late January. Commissioner is set to make his 2014 debut in Gulfstream Park’s Fountain of Youth.

“We’re really excited about him,” WinStar Farm president Elliott Walden said of Commissioner, who got a break after winning a 11⁄8-mile maiden race Aug. 28 at Saratoga. “Distance will not be a problem.”

Commissioner returned Jan. 3 to edge highly regarded Top Billing in a 11⁄8-mile allowance race at Gulfstream.

“Most horses you wouldn’t want to start back at a mile and an eighth off a layoff,” Pletcher said. “With him, we were very confident that’s what he wants to do; the farther he goes the better he gets.”